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Longino, Helen. (1995) Gender, Politics, and the Theoretical Virtues. Synthese 104 (3), 383-397.

Title Gender, Politics, and the Theoretical Virtues
Resource Type journal article
Author(s) Helen Longino
Year 1995
DOI doi:10.1007/bf01064506
Journal Synthese
Volume 104
Number 3
Pages 383-397

Abstract

Traits like simplicity and explanatory power have traditionally been treated as values internal to the sciences, constitutive rather than contextual. As such they are cognitive virtues. This essay contrasts a traditional set of such virtues with a set of alternative virtues drawn from feminist writings about the sciences. In certain theoretical contexts, the only reasons for preferring a traditional or an alternative virtue are socio-political. This undermines the notion that the traditional virtues can be considered purely cognitive.